This is terrible. I can't use my remote to navigate through the tree anymore! Why should I have the spacebar assigned to a key on my remote that wouldn't be used for anything else?
I agree, it's a bit better in a few instances, but overall a step backwards.
Changes I think are needed:
1) Make Enter Open/Close the Audio/Images/Video branches, since Left/Right are already being to navigate them.
2) Add an option to prevent Auto-opening branches in the tree (slows down keyboard/remote browsing, since right is easy to hit if you really want to open the branch)
3) Make Left on an open branch close it, but NOT move up a level as it currently does. As it is now, it's impossible using the keyboard/remote to get past the Drives and Devices branch without wading through your whole directory structure!
4) Remember which of Audio/Images/Video you were in last when you press down then back up, instead of up always moving from Start to Video.
5) Whatever you do, be consistent. It bugs me that Audio/Images/Video don't auto-open, but the rest of the tree does...
-John